19 Five-Star Vegan Cookbooks

Amazon's average of user ratings are frequently not very useful... but every now and again you take notice of a pattern. In looking at vegan cookbooks I noticed a surprising number had an average rating of a perfect 5 stars. This is a very rare thing. With that information, the book list below practically wrote itself.

To keep quality high I only included vegan cookbooks that had at least 20 ratings (making it even harder to acheive a full 5-star average) and finally, one or two of the titles below are technically vegetarian cookbooks... but are still of great use to a Vegan.

(Update: In revisiting this list it looks like Amazon has changed the way they generate average ratings. Many of these books have slipped from 5 stars to 4.5 stars — even though they only have 1 or 2 new reviews. Regardless, these are all still great vegan cookbooks.)

 

How to Cook Everything Vegetarian: Simple Meatless Recipes for Great Food

by Mark Bittman

Dena from New York, NY says:

Every time I'm faced with an unfamiliar vegetable (or, more likely, when I've forgotten how much water to put in the couscous again), I turn to Bittman. This How To Cook Everything isn't just for meat-lovers; it's great if you're looking for good sides, for good main dishes, for healthier (but still delicious) breakfasts...Really, it's like The Joy of Cooking for our age.

 

Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook

by Terry Hope Romero, Isa Chandra Moskowitz

Marisa from New York, NY says:

Absolutely wonderful, can't live without it. Isa and Terry have really evolved since the Post-Punk Kitchen days (Post-Punk Kitchen was their public access cooking show). A great resource for everyone, even if you're not vegan!

 

Vegan Planet: 400 Irresistible Recipes with Fantastic Flavors from Home and Around the World

by Robin Robertson

Hilary Henegar, GranvilleOnline.ca from Vancouver, BC says:

Vegan Planet is a great resource for creative vegan chefs looking to cook more than beans and rice. With lots of interesting dishes, it's a great read, though perhaps not practical for day-to-day use. The recipes are very adaptable however. The recipe I use most is for vegan scones. These turn out beautifully every time, but I never stick to the exact recipe. For me, a good cookbook offers inspiration and helpful hints — and this book does both well. There are also many helpful bits of information about individual ingredients and food groups that vegans should know about. All in all, a good resource for committed vegans.

 
 
 

The Vegetable Dishes I Can't Live Without

by Mollie Katzen

V. Demetros says:

Mollie Katzen is the queen of vegetarian cooking. This and The Enchanted Broccoli Forest are the best!

 

Vegan with a Vengeance : Over 150 Delicious, Cheap, Animal-Free Recipes That Rock

by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

Abby says:

The recipes in this book turn out great and are easy to follow. In fact, the Chocolate Raspberry Cake got a "Best cake I've ever had!" review... from a non-vegan!

 
 
 

Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World: 75 Dairy-Free Recipes for Cupcakes that Rule

by Terry Hope Romero, Isa Chandra Moskowitz

Stefanie from MN says:

Best cupcakes ever!

I never knew there was an art to making cupcakes but there certainly is; it can be tricky and you might wonder... "do you really need an oven thermometer" and "does the oven really need to be exactly 350 degrees?" Oh yes and yes. Seems like a lot of bother but the effort is completely worth it.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

by Deborah Madison

The title gives it away — this is a vegetarian cookbook, not a vegan one. But it's just too good to leave off. And besides, having over 200 reviews is an accomplishment in and of itself for a cookbook.